Mandolin



No. 627,067. I

(No Model.)

Wilimeaooo Patented lune l3, I899. R. B. SIMPSON.

MANDOLIN.

(Application filed Feb. 4, 189B. Renewed May 19, 1899.)

" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

ROY BERKELEY SIMPSON, OF DALLAS, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-IIALF TO IN. E. KAYE, OF FORT NORTH, TEXAS. V

MANDOLIN.

SFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 627,067, dated June 13, 1899.

Application filed Pehruary 4,1898. Renewed May 19, 1899 Serial No. 717,481. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it'known that I, ROY BERKELEY SIMPSON, acitizen of the United States residing at Dellas, Texas, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Mandolins, of which the follovi'ing is a specification.

My invention relates to mandolins and the objects are to obtain a tone for mandolins as nearly as possible equal to that of violins and other stringed instruments played by bows,

to attain a penetrating tone never before accomplished, to obtain harmonics as readily as on bow stringed instruments, to avoid the harsh metallic tones so common in mandolins,

to make the mandolin more durable, and to preventthe instrument from splitting and cracking when. subjected to sudden changes of temperature. I accomplish these objects by the novel construction and arrangement 22o oi parts hereinafter fully described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference ishad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a plan or top view of a mando- 2 5 lin, showing the improved soundingboard.

Fig. 2 is a view of the son nding-board' inverted, showing arrangement of braces, bars, and sound-holes. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the braces. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the bass bar, -Fig. 5 illustrates a shield for preventing the finger from dropping in the sound-hole on the right side of the soundingboard.

Similar characters of reference are'used to ,5 indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The construction of the neck and the fingerboard, which is provided with steel frets, is the same as shown in Letters Patent of the in; United States granted to me on November 30, l897,No.-504,436. Myimprovementsoverthat salient-consist in the arrangement of braces about the sounding-holes, the improved bass bar, andfa shield for the finger. Braces l3 and i 5 ll are glued to the under side of the sounding-board, and the ends of said braces are mortisedin the shell and the usual reinforcing-stri p of the mandolin. These braces each have a notch or groove cut therein, as shown in Fig. 3, for the bass barA. Careful experiments have demonstrated the fact that the l is glued on.

bass bar A must not touch the braces. In order to get the best effect, the bass bar must have perfect freedom to vibrate with the sounding-board. The bass bar is glued to the under side of the sounding-board under the G or large strings and parallel therewith .erceptfrom the bridge back to the tailpiece. The sounding-board is made thinner on the right side than on the left side, the right side being the treble and the left side being the bass side. In locating the bass barit is.necessary to locate firstthe nodal lines of the sounding-boardand then place the bar along or near said lines. This bar is extended almost the entire length of the sounding-board in order to give more weight to the bass side of the instrument, whereby a richer violinlike tone is given to thesounding-board. Having more Weight on the bass side and less weight on the treble side of the soundingboard secures an even distribution of tone power. This is accomplished in part'by placing the bass bar as above described and by making the treble side of the sounding-board thinner than the bass side before the bass bar Bass bar A is beveled, so that it will conform to the bevel or angle in the sounding-board. The bars a and a are also glued to the underside of the sounding-board and prevent the splitting of said board caused by the sudden changes of temperature. The bar a must-have a groove out in the top for bar A, so that these bars will not touch each 4 other. i.

The sound-holes g g are prefer-ab] y /'-shaped or s-shaped. They may have the shape of the SS-mark, or they may be straightparallel holes, or they may be in the shape of ornamental or fancy scrollwork on each side of andtparallel with the strings, but must be on each side of the strings. This arrangement of the soundholes allowsan extension of the finger-board,- and the arrangement of the sou'ndholes with the bars and braces,as abovedesc'ribed, and 5 illustrated in the'drawings, gives thegreatest possible range to the vibrating air capacity of the instrument. In making the bottom and top of the fs breaks are made in theslots, leaving bars connecting'the parts of the board I00 inside the-curves with the parts outside of the curves. The curved bars 0 c and h it pass othersnitable means.

the nodal lines about the sound holes and must necessarily be ldcated along the nodal lines in order to get the best effect and not to deaden sound or impair it. These bars are necessary to protect the delicate parts of the sounding -board. The particulari arrangeinent of the sound-holes and the bass bar A gives a smooth tone necessary forthe rendition of slurred passages in music; as well as making it possible to'tune the mandolin to a higher pitch than other mandolins. All of the bars are glued to the under side of the sounding-board and must be made of some suitable wood whose acoustic properties correspond with the acoustic properties of the wood used in constructing the mandolin.

In Fig 5 is illustrated ashield R- for preventing the finger from droppinginthe soundhole on the right side of the mandolin. The shield is attached to a holder P by screws or This holder P may be made of vulcanized rubber or some hard substance. It is provided with a slot; by which it is attached to the bridge M. The oval part of the holder rests on the narrow portion'm of the bridge. The shield is held close to the sounding-board and does not touch it.

Besides the advantages gained by the improvements herein set forth my mandolin has 7 all the advantages set forth in my former patent, to which reference has been made.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isr 1. A mandolin having asounding-board providedwith sound-holes in each side thereof consisting of curved slots, a bass bar extending substantially the entire length-"of said board and glued to ,thenn'd'er side tic/the left of the cents-"t1 part thereof cross-hmces, and two bars arranged at an angle about the tail part of said'board all glued to said boa rd, .each of s'aidbraces and one of said bars having ,6 groove for said bass bar whereby said bass bar is adapted to vibrate withsaid board independently of said braces and said bar. I 2. A mandolin having curved sound-holes arranged symmetrically in each side thereof, a bass bar glued to said board under and parallel lo the G strings and extending substantiall y the entire length of said board, the treble side of said board being made thin whereby the nodal lines thereof will be along said bar, and cross-braces glucd'tosard board without touching said bass bar.

I 35. A sounding-board having sound-holes arranged in each side thereof and bars and cross-braces attached to the under side of said board and adapted to strengthen the delicate parts thereof, each bar or cross-orifice having a notch or groove cut therein at the crossing of said bar and brace whereby said bars vibrate with said board independently of said I braces for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I set my hand, in the presence of two witnessesjthis 20th day of December, 1897.

ROY BERKELEY SIMPSGN.v '\Vitnesses: 2 7

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